In recent years, the computing industry began a transition from a traditional computing model, by which software and other computing resources are stored, managed, and processed on local computers, to a cloud computing model, by which software and other computing resources are stored, managed, and/or processed on remote computers that are often collectively referred to as “the cloud.” Many organizations have made the transition to the cloud, while others are at least contemplating a strategy to do so.
The benefits of a cloud computing model are numerous. By making the transition to a cloud computing model, organizations may benefit from access to data at all times, the reduction or elimination of physical storage centers, and cost savings realized by the reduction of operating, maintenance, and other information technology costs. For many organizations, the transition to a cloud computing model is accompanied by new risks, such as the potential for proprietary and other sensitive information to be knowingly or unknowingly shared with external computing resources associated with the cloud computing services.